George & Dragon, Ilfracombe

Close to the harbour at the bottom of Fore Street leading up to the town centre is The George and Dragon, which lays claim to being Ilfracombe’s oldest pub dating back to circa 1360. An attractive white washed exterior leads into a single bar pub with, on the left hand side, a flagstoned floor area and, on the right hand side, a larger carpeted area with a fine inglenook fireplace which is primarily used for dining and is evidently popular with visitors to Ilfracombe. It’s a low ceilinged interior with black shiny beams which don’t look original and,although it’s a pleasant interior with a traditional feel, it doesn’t feel perhaps as old as you might expect for a 14th Century inn. There’s some exposed stonework behind the bar and whitewashed walls with black criss cross beams. It’s a sports free pub with no fruit machines or TV’s, although there’s a slightly out of place looking cash machine in recognition of the fact that, somewhat surprisingly, credit and debit cards and cheques are not accepted. A prominent notice tells us that mobile phones are banned, which is fine by me, but the purpose of this is largely offset by the usual banal background muzak that one has to put up with. On my recent evening visit, beers on were Exmoor Ale, Skinners Betty Stoggs and, notably, Sheps Spitfire, which would appear to be a regular. A fourth pump, seemingly for draught cider, was not in use. Service left something to be desired, with delays caused by people in groups ordering food. The Exmoor Ale - £ 3.10p – was in good form. Notably, the Spitfire, at a stronger ABV of 4.2% was only £ 3.05p and this appears to be the favoured beer of the locals. For real ale enthusiasts, the nearby Ship and Pilot ,just round the corner, is the one to go for, but The George and Dragon is worth a visit